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Tempel’s New Track, “Descending Into The Labyrinth,” Will A-Maze You

One of the records I’m looking forward to most in the next few months is the upcoming record from Tempel, an Arizona-based instrumental blackened doom duet. When they first

9 years ago

One of the records I’m looking forward to most in the next few months is the upcoming record from Tempel, an Arizona-based instrumental blackened doom duet. When they first popped up on my Bandcamp feed, the album cover intrigued me and I gave them a listen. I was blown away by the track I heard, “Carvings in the Door”: the disparate styles melded into a beautiful and haunting whole.

Ever since I heard that track, I’ve been chomping at the bit for a chance to hear more of their new album, The Moon Lit Our Path, and now that I’ve gotten the chance, I’ve doubled down on my excitement for the record. Check out the new track, “Descending Into The Labyrinth,” after the jump.

Once again, I’ve been blown away by this band. And this is just two guys! They have such a huge sound for a literal pair of musicians, and it doesn’t sound unnecessarily inflated; Tempel just really, really know what they’re doing.

The band perfectly straddles a line between Agalloch-esque black metal, replete with huge chords and melancholic leads, and a Pallbearer-inspired take on doom metal, slow and methodical. The combination feels like way more than the sum of its parts: although these two bands are known for having large sounds, neither of them perfectly nail the grandiose atmosphere that Tempel has.

The new album, The Moon Lit Our Path, comes out on June 16. If you want the chance to get blown away by another track, or preorder the album, check it out here, and if you dig this, we’ll have an interview going up with the band sometime soon.

-SH

Simon Handmaker

Published 9 years ago